Scan barcode
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
This is a Jamaican mythology-inspired YA fantasy, and in my opinion, the dragon story yall should be talking about! I love a story about sisters, and we get the dual-POV of them (Faron and Elara)!
Faron is the 17-year-old Child Empyrean, appointed by the gods as a human conduit of god-power, who is examining her post-war life and wants to be more than this famous godlike figure she has become. Five years ago, she fought against the Langlish Empire/their colonizers and is now a renowned revolutionary. Her younger sister Elara is tired of living in her infamous sister's shadow, and that's perfect because that sets us up for what comes next! I loved that both of them were yearning for something more, and they're just KIDS! *sobs in "I just want everyone to be okay" *
At a peace summit, Elara bonds with a dragon (!!!!), which is not supposed to happen, and it never has! I loved that KC used this chosen one trope, because Faron is chosen by the gods to be the Empyrean, but Elara is chosen to bond with this dragon. They're both chosen for different journeys, and while they're seemingly separate, the connection is what pulled me in.
This turn of events completely upends their lives, with war not being behind them anymore... with Elara having to enroll at the enemy Langlish military academy, and Faron being told (by the GODS! my GOD!!!!) that the only way to save their home San Irie is to betray her sister?!? WILD.
Reeve, Elara's best friend who is originally from Langley and the Langlish commander's son (!!! the drama!!!), helps Faron try to get Elara back home and unbonded from the dragon.
I adored the queer-normative world, with Elara's sapphic representation (her forced proximity to Signey -her dragon riding partner- is so delectably crafted! Going from annoyance to pining? LOVE it!), and Faron's demisexuality. With a group of characters that you really begin to root for, the found family comes naturally and I can't wait to see more of this in the next book <3
I enjoyed the contrast between the magic systems: San Irie has ancestral magic, and Langley's magic comes from the bond that riders have with their dragons. I do hope to see even more magic system explanations and world-building in the upcoming books because I'm a sucker for lore lol.
Be prepared for a cliffhanger. I wasn't! So I'm helping you by letting you know ahead of time! UGH!
Also, if you liked this, check out Kindling by Traci Chee (comes out in March 2024), as it follows a similar story premise of following child soldiers years after the war has passed, and how they are reckoning with their new realities and futures!
Graphic: Blood, Racism, War, Colonisation, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Racial slurs
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Slavery
blakeandbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Faron is the chosen one who is revered and respected after saving her people from the enemy 5 years ago. They’ve been in a time of contentious peace until now. When her sister Elara bonds with an enemy dragon unexpectedly, she is forced to attend the dragon rider academy in Langley, where she is anything but safe. Faron will do ANYTHING to save her sister. She will defy the gods, learn dangerous and new powers, and even make an ally of her sister’s best friend, Reeve…who she also hates.
This cast is so expansive and queer. Faron is demisexual, and Elara is gay. Signey is Elara’s co-rider… and maybe something more? 👀 I loved so many characters in this book and how Elara is given this opportunity to step out of her sister’s shadow to see who she is on her own. There’s found family. There’s tension. There’s betrayal and mystery and lore.
Go read this book right now! I highly recommend it, especially the audiobook!
Graphic: War, Colonisation, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Racism, and Death
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, and Slavery
kingjk2002's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Colonisation and Death
Minor: Racial slurs, Bullying, and Death
dragonsheart8261920's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Slavery, Colonisation, Classism, Grief, Racism, Child death, War, Death of parent, Blood, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence
bellebookcorner's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Told in dual POVs, Elara and Faron are both sisters that lives in a post-war world where Faron as the child Empyrean saves her country but the peace didn’t last long when Elara was found bonded to a dragon from an enemy kingdom.
This story has an interesting world building between summoning gods powers and also bonding with the dragons. Having both POVs really work out great here so we could see how each powers work differently.
There’s also a slight romance blooming throughout the story for both Elara and Faron, but I’m more interested in Faron’s love interest though especially after that ending.
I can’t wait to know what will happen to them both in the next book!
Overall, this is a great start for a series.
I’m looking forward to read the sequel cause I would like to explore more about the world building and know more about the dragons!
Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tour, Netgalley, author and publisher for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!
Graphic: Colonisation, Violence, and War
Moderate: Blood, Death, and Racism
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Slavery
destynee's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Violence, War, and Colonisation
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Blood
Minor: Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, and Racial slurs
bookswithbethx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: War, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Colonisation
km_kett's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing me with an eArc.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Moderate: Racism, Death, Death of parent, Colonisation, Blood, Genocide, Grief, and Violence
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Slavery
chronicacademia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I finished most of the book in one sitting this morning. While the story’s latter two-thirds are incredibly quick, I did struggle to get through the first ~70 pages. In part because I’ve been in just about the worst YA fantasy slump of my life, and partly because there’s just a lot of world-building to consume in those first several chapters. Everything from the drakes to the dragons to the Empyrean to the magic system is incredibly fleshed out at the expense of the story’s pace. I’m not complaining though, because I think the author did an excellent job of laying things out and building on them without confusing the reader by throwing too much at us all at once. And once I hit part II, I was hooked. I didn’t set the book down again until it was over (and it felt like it was over in the blink of an eye).
The characters were phenomenally written. I usually struggle with multiple POVs in a book because there’s always that one character I just don’t vibe with, but that wasn’t the case here. I adored Elara and Faron equally, though for vastly different reasons. I identified very strongly with Elara, I think because she was the eldest daughter, and I felt so much of her story very deeply. With Faron, I think I related to her undying loyalty to and love for her sister, as well as her determination to protect her. This was the sister story my heart needed.
The side characters were also fleshed out and fun to follow. Reeve was my favorite for a multitude of reasons. He was a much-needed diversion from the toxic alpha male love interests who’ve been dominating YA fantasy lately. I love to see positive masculinity and I think the author nailed it with Reeve’s story and arc.
To me, this book felt like a mashup of all the best fantasy books. It reminded me of Iron Widow but with the romance and sister aspect of Caraval and the dragons and expansive world-building of The Priory of the Orange Tree. I think fans of any one of these books will probably enjoy So Let Them Burn.
Overall, I highly recommend this one.
*Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! All views reflected are my own.
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Colonisation, Hate crime, Racism, Violence, and War
queergoth_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I just finished this and all I can say is wow! This was a phenomenal book and I need the second one soon because I need to know what happens!!
The writing was so evocative and I often felt I was watching the story play it like in a movie rather than as words on a page.
I love the concept of having the story start after the chosen one has fulfilled their destiny. Seeing Faron have to live with all this power and status after being given it as a child and seeing how she copes with the expectations put on her, by her people and her gods, was so well done. It made her so much more than just your standard chosen one. It was also really interesting to see how her sister Elara copes with it, feeling like she is in her sister's shadow, as well as seeing how the both compare themselves to each other and come up feeling inadequate. They were both so human and such well rounded characters.
I think one of the most important and well done things in this book is that it doesn't shy away from the impact of colonisation and war. It highlights the lives lost, the consequences and impact the war had on the citizens of San Irie, and the impact these have on all the characters involved in the fight for San Irie's independence in the years after. They do not shy away from the blood on their hands and the consequences their actions had. The book also does not refrain from showing the realities of Elara being forced to move to the country that wanted to colonise her homeland. It talks frankly about her fear of losing her culture and the hate she faces from others there.
This is a really phenomenal book. I will be thinking about it for a long time.
Graphic: Violence, Colonisation, War, and Racism
Moderate: Death and Fire/Fire injury